I came across a blog by a doctor who is of the opinion that the benefits in terms of extra days life are pretty minimal. Also states in his blog in various posts that there is a bit of a settled science consensus midset in medical circles meaning that any alternative views on the effectiveness of statins and the need to prescribe them to vast numbers are severely discouraged.
Worth read for anyone on statins perhaps.
The main take away message I believe, is the following. Statins do not prevent fatal heart attacks and strokes. They can only delay them. They delay them by about one or two days per year of treatment. For those who have read my books you will know that I have regularly suggested we get rid of the concept of ‘preventative medicine’. We need to replace it with the concept of ‘delayative medicine’.
You cannot stop people dying. You can only make them live longer. How much longer is the key question. With statins this question has been answered. You can, to be generous, add a maximum of two days per year to life expectancy.
Which means that if you were to take a statin for thirty years you could expect to live about two months longer. (Possibly three, more likely one). Assuming, and this is a big assumption, that none of the trials done have been in any way biased towards statins.
And by the author in the comments ...
If you can extend life, and improve quality of life, that is best. But I have yet to see any evidence that statins improve the quality of anyone’s life. On the other hand, I have met many people who’s lives have been ruined by taking statins.
http://drmalcolmkendrick.org/2015/10/27 ... -a-statin/